Thimba, who has held enrollment management leadership positions at American University, Drexel University and New York University, has a built a career around a commitment to student success. She will start her new role at Temple on July 15.

Evelyn Thimba has been named the vice president for enrollment management, Temple University President John Fry and interim Provost David Boardman announced Tuesday. Currently the vice president for undergraduate enrollment management at American University, Thimba is a nationally recognized leader in enrollment management who brings more than two decades of experience to the role. Throughout her career, she has demonstrated the ability to develop and execute integrated enrollment and student success strategies around a cohesive institutional vision. She will officially join the Temple community on July 15. 

Prior to joining American University in 2023, Thimba served for nearly 10 years at Drexel University. She also served as an enrollment management leader at New York University. 

“I am delighted to welcome my former colleague Evelyn Thimba to Temple and the critically important role of vice president for enrollment management,” Fry said. “At every stop of her career, Evelyn has prioritized student success at the highest level, and I have no doubt that she will continue to do that here at Temple. We are fortunate to welcome a leader of Evelyn’s caliber, whose experience and perspective will be a tremendous asset to Temple.” 

At Temple, Thimba will oversee the enrollment management division including admissions, student financial services and the registrar’s office, and will collaborate closely with the offices of undergraduate education and student affairs on student success. She succeeds Rob Reddy, who has been serving as interim vice provost for enrollment management since January. 

Thimba’s appointment to the role comes after Temple has welcomed back-to-back large first-year undergraduate classes of students, including the most-recent Class of 2029, which was the largest first-year class in Temple’s history.  

The appointment also advances Forward with Purpose, the university's strategic plan, which prioritizes student success. As part of the plan, Temple is working on redefining access to create new pathways for students to meet their educational and professional goals. This includes developing a collaborative, universitywide effort that ensures every student feels welcomed, supported and seen. The universitywide focus is part of what drew Thimba to the role. 

“For me, Temple's mission, scale and reach are deeply compelling—and its new strategic plan, Forward with Purpose, makes clear that this is an institution with both ambition and clarity about where it is headed. I am energized by the opportunity to help advance that vision and to contribute to a university that is so central to the future of Philadelphia. The students we serve and the way in which we serve them was just one of the many reasons why I was so excited about this role. We have the potential to change young people’s lives, and I want to be a part of that,” Thimba said. “Also, in reading the new strategic plan, its commitment to student success drew me in. I am really drawn to Temple and this vision for us to become the premier anchor institution for Philadelphia. That's a powerful vision. We have an opportunity to drive educational attainment and workforce development in Philly, and I want to be a part of that. 

“This is an opportunity to not just think about attracting and enrolling students, but how you build a structure that supports their success, guides them and allows them to thrive,” Thimba added. 

In her current role at American University, Thimba’s leadership has helped stabilize undergraduate enrollment and aligned recruitment, financial aid optimization and retention efforts. She has advanced a more data-informed, student-centered enrollment model while strengthening cross-campus collaboration. Specifically, she designed and implemented a comprehensive transfer enrollment strategy to expand access and diversify pipelines, which included the launch of the American Transfer Advantage program. The initiative created new community college student pathways and partnerships to bolster transfer student enrollment, access and opportunity. 

Thimba will arrive at Temple as no stranger to Philadelphia, having worked closely with Fry at Drexel. Arriving in Philadelphia in 2016, she served as Drexel’s senior vice president for enrollment management from July 2019 until her departure. 

During that time, she recruited and enrolled the four largest undergraduate first-year classes in Drexel’s history. Graduation and student-retention rates also improved significantly, including notable increases in the graduation rates of Pell-eligible students.  

“In interviewing Evelyn, it was clear to me that she is the right person at the right time for Temple,” said Boardman. “Her values align perfectly with ours, and her experience will help propel us forward.” 

Indications are that Temple will again welcome a strong first-year undergraduate class this fall, as applications and deposits for first-year students are up compared to this time last year.  

“I am eager to work with the enrollment team to build, develop and cultivate their talents,” Thimba said. “I want us to become the country’s most forward-thinking enrollment management team, and I believe we can accomplish that. Temple is such a special place, and we have an opportunity to align an enrollment strategy with an institutional mission and vision in a way that is both ambitious and practical. That is exciting.” 

Prior to joining Drexel, Thimba spent more than 18 years in New York University’s (NYU) Office of Admissions where she held several roles before rising to the role of associate dean and director of admissions. 

Thimba holds a degree in business leadership and management studies from NYU.